Soils

Walthall, P. M.; Mast, M. Alisa; Arthur, Mary A.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-2788-5_7

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The long‐term data from Emerald Lake and the Loch suggest that climatic‐related variability is overlaid on a long‐term decline in lake SO 4 concentrations. The relatively direct response of lake SO 4 to variations in atmospheric deposition is reasonable given the limited SO 4 adsorption capacity of soil in most high‐elevation basins in the western United States [ Lund et al , 1987; Baron et al , 1992].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the chemistry of lakes and precipitation in high‐elevation national parks in the western United States, 1985–1999

Clow

Sickman²,

Striegl

et al. 2003

Water Resources Research

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[1] High-elevation lakes in the western United States are sensitive to atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen due to fast hydrologic flushing rates, short growing seasons, an abundance of exposed bedrock, and a lack of well-developed soils. This sensitivity is reflected in the dilute chemistry of the lakes, which was documented in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Western Lake Survey of 1985. Sixty-nine lakes in seven national parks sampled during the 1985 survey were resampled during fall 1999 to investigate possible decadal-scale changes in lake chemistry. In most lakes, SO 4 concentrations were slightly lower in 1999 than in 1985, consistent with a regional decrease in precipitation SO 4 concentrations and in SO 2 emissions in the western United States. Nitrate concentrations also tended to be slightly lower in 1999 than in 1985, in contrast with generally stable or increasing inorganic N deposition in the west. Differences in alkalinity were variable among parks but were relatively consistent within each park. Possible effects of annual and seasonal-scale variations in precipitation amount on lake chemistry were evaluated based on climate data available for the parks and an analysis of climatic effects at two research watersheds with long-term records. Results suggest that rain prior to sampling in 1985 may have caused elevated NO 3 in some lakes due to direct runoff of precipitation and flushing of NO 3 from alpine soils, which may explain some of the decrease in NO 3 concentrations observed in survey lakes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the chemistry of lakes and precipitation in high‐elevation national parks in the western United States, 1985–1999

Clow

Sickman²,

Striegl

et al. 2003

Water Resources Research

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“…Land cover is dominated by exposed rock (53%), with only 7% forest cover, which is limited to valley bottoms. Where present, poorly developed soils on hillslopes and in the forest have relatively low organic carbon content between 0.5 and 2.7% but somewhat higher values in riparian areas [ Baron et al ., ]. The focal catchment (Loch Vale) is drained by two streams, Andrews Creek and Icy Brook (less than 1% forested catchments), which merge 0.6 km above The Loch (the lowest elevation alpine lake in the basin; Figure ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Source limitation of carbon gas emissions in high-elevation mountain streams and lakes

Crawford

Dornblaser

Stanley

et al. 2015

J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci.

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Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon cycle through transport, storage, and direct emissions of CO 2 and CH 4 to the atmosphere. Despite predictions of high physical gas exchange rates due to turbulent flows and ubiquitous supersaturation of CO 2 -and perhaps also CH 4 -patterns of gas emissions are essentially undocumented for high mountain ecosystems. Much like other headwater networks around the globe, we found that high-elevation streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA, were supersaturated with CO 2 during the growing season and were net sources to the atmosphere. CO 2 concentrations in lakes, on the other hand, tended to be less than atmospheric equilibrium during the open water season. CO 2 and CH 4 emissions from the aquatic conduit were relatively small compared to many parts of the globe. Irrespective of the physical template for high gas exchange (high k), we found evidence of CO 2 source limitation to mountain streams during the growing season, which limits overall CO 2 emissions. Our results suggest a reduced importance of aquatic ecosystems for carbon cycling in high-elevation landscapes having limited soil development and high CO 2 consumption via mineral weathering.

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“…Analyses of near‐surface soil samples from transect points indicate that soils are predominantly sandy loams with low bulk density, averaging 0.54 g cm −3 in the top 10–12 cm of the soil. Prior research on soil profiles near the study area found that the surface organic layer ranged from 7 to 11 cm in thickness above mineral horizons that extended to a depth of around 60–90 cm (Baron et al ., ). Along the transects, soils formed primarily over unconsolidated colluvium, and the depths of the soil are likely highly variable, including no soil development in areas with boulders or bedrock outcrops at the land surface.…”

Section: Study Location and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Snowmelt runoff and soil moisture dynamics on steep subalpine hillslopes

Kampf

Markus

Heath

et al. 2014

Hydrological Processes

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Snowmelt water supplies streamflow and growing season soil moisture in mountain regions, yet pathways of snowmelt water and their effects on moisture patterns are still largely unknown. This study examined how flow processes during snowmelt runoff affected spatial patterns of soil moisture on two steep sub‐alpine hillslope transects in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. The transects have northeast‐facing and east‐facing aspects, and both extend from high‐elevation bedrock outcrops down to streams in valley bottoms. Spatial patterns of both snow depth and near‐surface soil moisture were surveyed along these transects in the snowmelt and summer seasons of 2008–2010. To link these patterns to flow processes, soil moisture was measured continuously on both transects and compared with the timing of discharge in nearby streams. Results indicate that both slopes generated shallow lateral subsurface flow during snowmelt through near‐surface soil, colluvium and bedrock fractures. On the northeast‐facing transect, this shallow subsurface flow emerged through mid‐slope seepage zones, in some cases producing saturation overland flow, whereas the east‐facing slope had no seepage zones or overland flow. At the hillslope scale, earlier snowmelt timing on the east‐facing slope led to drier average soil moisture conditions than on the northeast‐facing slope, but within hillslopes, snow patterns had little relation to soil moisture patterns except in areas with persistent snow drifts. Results suggest that lateral flow and exfiltration processes are key controls on soil moisture spatial patterns in this steep sub‐alpine location. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Soils

Cited by 10 publications

References 31 publications

Changes in the chemistry of lakes and precipitation in high‐elevation national parks in the western United States, 1985–1999

Changes in the chemistry of lakes and precipitation in high‐elevation national parks in the western United States, 1985–1999

Source limitation of carbon gas emissions in high-elevation mountain streams and lakes

Snowmelt runoff and soil moisture dynamics on steep subalpine hillslopes

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